Several pharmaceutical preparations containing probiotic yeast cells are commercially available and the beneficial properties of strains of some Saccharomyces spp are well documented. As well as providing nutritive value probiotic yeasts are generally resistant to gastrointestinal passage and are resistant to most antibiotics. A recent review by Zanello et al. entitled Saccharomyces boulardii effects on gastrointestinal diseases was recently published in the journal Current Issues in Molecular Biology.

Saccharomyces boulardii, a species of yeast, has been described as a biotherapeutic agent since several clinical trials displayed its beneficial effects in the prevention and the treatment of intestinal infections and in the maintenance of inflammatory bowel disease. All these diseases are characterized by acute diarrhoea. Administration of Saccharomyces boulardii in combination or not with an antibiotherapy has shown to decrease significantly the duration and the frequency of diarrhoea. Experimental studies have elucidated partially the molecular mechanisms triggered to improve the host health. The discovery of its anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory activities in correlation with the advances in the understanding of mucosal immunology opens a new field of perspectives in Saccharomyces boulardii therapeutic applications.

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Further reading on probiotic microorganisms: Lactobacillus Molecular Biology: From Genomics to Probiotics

Labels: probiotics, Saccharomyces, yeast